December 19, 2016

God of Heaven, and the heavens beyond heavens
God of Angels beyond imagination
God of all beauty and honor and glory,

We get so muddled up in our dailies
We feel so homeless in our travels
So alone in our little worlds

We need You Lord.
We need to see You and Your glory in this season--
of PCS
of being away from family
of busy busy business

Show us Lord.
Show us how You can turn the sunset pink
and make the snow glitter in the moonlight.
Show us how You can change a heart
and turn trial into triumph.
Show us how You make abundance out of brokenness.
Show us how You feed the winter sparrow
and paint the lily's blush.

Help us to shout "Glory to God in the Highest! Gloria in excelsis Deo!"
Help us to hear the angels over the plains; and the mountains echoing the cry.

Help us to shout Glory! in the to-do list
Glory! in the chronic pain
Glory! in the isolation

We pray Lord that we will learn to say Glory, as You are in the Highest. And we pray we will be able to teach it to our children too. May the atmospheres in our homes be glorify-ing to You this Christmas.

We pray for our friends who are sick and hurting.
We pray for those of us who struggle with feeling out of control.
We pray for those who are in the midst of moving.
We pray for our loved ones who are far away and hurting and we can't help.

And Lord we pray for our deployed. May You be born in their lives today so they can shout Glory!
We pray for our leaders, including the Chief of Chaplains: may they bend their knees and see Your glory. May the decisions they make every day be pleasing to You.
We pray for the families of the fallen  in this season. Lord, only You can redeem this time. We pray You will for them.
And we pray for our hurting veterans. Show them Your glory Lord.

Because seeing You changes everything. Thank You Lord Jesus for bringing Your glory to us.
Today, we will not let it get lost, but we will sing of it--

click here to hear Angels We Have Heard on High by King & Country

Angels we have heard on high
sweetly singing o'er the plains
and the mountains in reply
echoing their joyous strains

Gloria In excelsis Deo!

Shepherds, why this Jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?

Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

December 12, 2016

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Emmanuel. God. With. Us. Thank You Lord for the truth of this. No other god comes to us because of love for us.
And You Lord will be with us. We have the promise of seeing You face to face.
Yet, Lord, today is that in-between time. We long for Your full presence, when there will be no suffering.

And ransom captive Israel

We still need saving, Lord! Please save us today from ourselves--our selfish, greedy basic sin nature.

That mourns in lowly exile here

Cast out. Away from Your presence. We are in this fallen land, and trouble engulfs us. For many, Christmas is anything but a time of joy. And even for You, Jesus, the manger was in the shadow of the cross. Thank You for being one of us, for understanding our sufferings.

Until the Son of God appears

What unspeakable awe--the Son of God with us. You have saved our soul; You have promised us a future with You; and You've given us life--now--today--with You in Your abundance.

Don't let us squash that present in the midst of wrapping silly trinket presents. As moms, influencing the attitudes of our homes and teaching our children with every little act we do, make our joy in You overflow. As we change our homes, may we change our streets, our communities--Ft. Wainwright and Ft. Banning  and Ft. Polk, and Fort Bragg seeing Your glory this season!

May we not see Christmas as a to-do, but as a reminder of time with You.
May we not see work as a drudgery, punishment, but as a light-burden, a mission You have given us.
May we not be overwhelmed by all to come, but remember each day has enough trial of its own. There's more tomorrows to get it done.

Lord, for our communities, we pray:

--for the illnesses plaguing many families
--for safety in traveling many miles
--for grace to prevail in the homes, especially with returning warriors
--for those suffering loneliness, despair, pain--especially our soldiers. Lord, ransom them from the hell they find themselves in. Use us to rescue and save...
--for the many social events these days, show us how to reach out to people for You
--for our soldiers who are far from home this season. Hold them in Your arms Lord.
--for our leaders, may they hear Godly wisdom

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

December 5, 2016

God rest ye merry gentlemen

Let nothing you dismay

Remember, Christ, our Saviour

Was born on Christmas day

To save us all from Satan's power

When we were gone astray

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

Lord, we do pray for true rest for our warriors. May they remember You, trust You, and rest in You. We pray addictions will be broken from drugs, porn, alcohol, power and pride. We pray the spirit of despair would be defeated. We pray a bond of unity would radiate out from the church, and leave none lonely. 

We pray You will keep our deployed safe. May they accomplish their missions.

Please protect our men and women in all the traveling and training they have to do.

Please be close to the wounded. May they see You in their trials. Please help the doctors and caregivers to be wise. Please guide their hands through the procedures.

Lord we pray You will go before those PCSing and retiring.

And Lord please help our military marriages. Give us discernment. Help us be refined and not broken. Help our warriors be the best parents they can be. 

We pray for our leaders, including the Chief of Chaplains office. And we pray for the national leaders, especially as they change.

Please continue to save us all from Satan's power when we go astray.

From God our Heavenly Father

A blessed Angel came;

And unto certain Shepherds

Brought tidings of the same:

How that in Bethlehem was born

The Son of God by Name.

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

It is only because of You, Lord, that we can have any hope, any comfort, any joy. Thank You Jesus for coming into our sorrow. From out of nothing, You created everything. From out of nothing, You brought forgiveness. From out of nothing, You can continue to make a way for us. 

Now to the Lord sing praises,

All you within this place,

And with true love and brotherhood

Each other now embrace;

This holy tide of Christmas

All other doth deface.

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

Lord in this holy season, help us to love each other, and love You all the more. Amen.